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| The Wall Las Memorias Project organized a forum in Los Angeles on Monday, Oct. 25, that drew 175 religious Latino leaders to discuss HIV/AIDS-related taboos and other issues. |
"It’s just not something that’s talked about," he responded.
Other panelists echoed Hernandez’s experiences about learning about HIV/AIDS on the Internet-and maybe at school-as they participated in the fourth annual Latinos, Faith, Culture, HIV and Mental Health Conference in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, Oct. 25. Sex, let alone sexually transmitted infections, was not exactly dinner table conversation in their Roman Catholic-dominated households.
Organized by The Wall Las Memorias Project, which provides HIV/AIDS awareness and education outreach to Latinos, the conference drew 175 people from a variety of faith traditions to discuss social taboos associated with the epidemic.
"Quite a few churches in the community are very active on issues of immigration reform, on feeding the homeless or cancer awareness, but AIDS is something they probably don’t discuss as much," said Eddie Martinez, associate director of The Wall Las Memorias. "The truth is, sexuality is attached to this and if they talk about sexuality, then they also talk about gay issues, so they’d rather not talk about AIDS at all."
Organizing the conference these past few years, Martinez has seen participants open up about normally unspoken topics.
"At the first conference, we were very careful on some of the education that was provided because the Latino faith community can be very conservative, but we’ve learned there is hunger for knowledge on issues that are normally not discussed at the churches," he said.
As a result of his group’s outreach to congregations of multiple denominations, one conservative Latino church declined to join a pro-Proposition 8 coalition.
In addition to discussions about drug use, sexual, spiritual and mental health, the conference provided free HIV testing and educational resources in both English and Spanish.
Xavier Mejia decided to attend to gain a better understanding of faith-based perspectives and resources for his clients: young people with HIV/AIDS at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
"I came to know how to identify the need that people have to be connected to faith and also understand how faith affects the decision-making process in the HIV world," he said. "I’ve been on the side of giving HIV positive results, so I’ve seen clients who I’ve known from the very beginning and an important thing to do is to link them to care and to follow up and make sure they are connected to a support system."
Another presentation highlighted warning signs suicidal LGBT youth traditionally exhibit.
"This is a very isolated community where they don’t perceive having any kind of support from anyone, so many times they find themselves feeling so hopeless that they feel the only solution to whatever problems they may be experiencing is suicide," said Dr. Ana Maria De la Torre, who has worked with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.
She noted the Centers for Disease Control, which funded the conference with other public agencies, glosses over LGBTs when it discusses suicide. De la Torre further assured faith leaders they are already saving lives without even knowing it.
"Often, the one thing that keeps people from pulling the trigger or jumping from the building is that they don’t want to go to hell, so keep preaching what you’re preaching because that seems to be helping a little bit," she said.
The day ended with prayers and commitments to increase AIDS and mental health outreach. One reverend prayed for people to know they are "champions of creating a new world where hatred, bigotry, harassment and depression no longer exist."
Martinez said the conference does not aim to change church teachings, but recognizing HIV/AIDS as a human disease opens up conversation that can lead to change.
"I think having a gathering like this empowers people," he said. "You cannot lead without having people to lead, so if this gathering changes the mindset of people, eventually it’s going to trickle all the way up to the top."
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